Today we’d like to introduce you to Rhonda Hicks.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I am a Jersey girl born and bred, but followed my parents to North Carolina in the early 90s and have called The Tarheel State home ever since! My corporate career has been in the fields of telecommunications and IT, primarily focusing on project, account, and personnel management, however, in November 2009, I launched my first entrepreneurial venture – Amazing Grace Event Management (AGEM).
Over the past several years, I have had the opportunity to plan and manage events spanning from milestone celebrations and weddings to small business and large corporate trade shows on both a national and international scale. To celebrate the company’s 10-year anniversary, I expanded the vision of the business to include a business consulting arm, now AGEM & Consulting™.
In 2014, I found myself to be so super busy with two young children and doing much for many, yet really didn’t know how I defined myself. I began asking other women if they felt the same and the overwhelming majority did! I came up with the concept to serve those who were like me, however, shortly thereafter, I was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. After battling and beating it (once again in 2021), only with the Grace of God, I officially established Project She™ in 2016.
I live the life of a busy wife, mommy, businesswoman, etc. And so, I understand the challenges and stressors that can often be overwhelming and underappreciated. This project was born out of those experiences, and it is my hope that this forum will serve as a place for women to support one another in the name of encouragement and positivity through the powerful bond of womanhood.
Project She™ has been elevated to what is now SHE IS™. Who is She, you may ask? SHE IS every woman, every age, every stage, everywhere who continues to evolve, blossom, learn and become the person she has always wanted to be – holistically flourishing in every aspect of her life. The common experiences we share are what make us relatable. The unique experiences we have are what make us unique. Yet, when we come together to share our stories and perspective, it makes us powerful!
One of the things that are of the utmost importance is to support my community. Each business venture is aligned and designed to support a non-profit organization to give back in a positive way. I am a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated, whose main thrusts are Sisterhood, Scholarship, and Service. I am a contributing writer for Unconditionally Her, “a media production/publishing company producing female-centered lifestyle and positive content across multiple platforms”. These platforms include a digital magazine, newsletters, podcasts, and live events. Most recently, I had the opportunity to contribute to The Small PEARL in Every Girl, a book of “Lessons and Affirmations of life, leadership, and love”. I am a Sunday School teacher and a member of the Youth Ministry Leadership Team at my church. When I am not busy cheering my children on at their sporting events, I love to travel and enjoy hosting gatherings to bring my family and friends together for food, fun, and fellowship!
We all face challenges but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It has not been a smooth road, nor did I expect it to be. I believe there are seasons and reasons for everything, and I try to learn from every experience.
Personally, my biggest curve in the road was my cancer diagnosis. In 2014, my children were young, and I had just begun a job the year prior. I chose to only share my situation with my close circle of family, friends, and co-workers. It wasn’t until after I was in remission that I chose to share with more people after one of my mentors told me that my journey wasn’t just for me. Since sharing, I have realized that it has blessed others to hear my survivor story. When I was diagnosed again in 2021, I went about things quite differently.
I chose to socialize my re-diagnosis with everyone – family, friends, co-workers, and even on social media. What I learned is that people want to help and support and encourage and be there during times of struggle. I received such an outpouring of all those things by way of emails and messages and texts and phone calls. I received gifts and gift cards and door dashes to the point where I hardly had to cook during the three months of my more intense treatments. It was the most amazing, humbling, and loving feeling.
Professionally, there have been many curves in the road as well. More specific to entrepreneurship, although there are many books to help to guide your path, you still must be the one who knows your business and your clients the best. Over the past few years, COVID and quarantine changed everything!
For my event management business AGEM and Consulting, many clients had to postpone their events. One couple even decided to cancel their wedding and elope instead! For my women’s organization, SHE IS, instead of our in-person experiences, we had to take it online and ZOOM it out! It wasn’t quite the same, but we connected and made it work!
The bottom line is that life isn’t perfect nor is it easy, but perspective is everything! Having a positive attitude and being resourceful is always a plus. Most importantly, lead with love, trust in God and always be grateful!
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
SHE IS every woman, every age, every stage, everywhere who continues to evolve, blossom, learn and become the person she has always wanted to be. My role is to bring women together to discuss issues of relevance in our lives. I am just as much a student as I am the host! I am most proud of the community that has been built among ladies of all ages to support one another. We need to know that we are not alone in our experiences, and SHE IS provides a platform for us to come together to educate, socialize and celebrate ourselves as we are! We are in the process of developing content for the next SheTreat for the fall of 2022 so stay tuned!
What do you like best about our city? What do you like least?
When I first moved to Raleigh when I was in college, I didn’t like it at all! I truly thought I was moving to the “country”. Everything was much slower than in New Jersey.
There was pretty much no public transportation and certainly no big city lights and things to do. I thought I would move back after graduation but ended up never doing so. I’ve now been in the Raleigh area for more than 30 years and I am happy to call it home. I met and married my husband, who is from the area, and we are now raising our teenage children.
It’s a wonderful place to raise a family, with a perfect location equidistant to the beach and the mountains. It is ever-expanding and growing and becoming more diverse which is something I embraced as I grew up around people from so many different cultures, religions, and backgrounds.
Contact Info:
- Email: hello@sheisrhondahicks.com
- Website: www.sheisrhondahicks.com
- Instagram: @sheisrhondahicks
- Facebook: @sheisrhondahicks
- Other: www.agemandconsulting.com
Image Credits
In His Image Photography and Artije Photography
